May 13th, 2021
“Go mårrn”, or “Good Morning!” in Westrobothnian, a variety of Swedish spoken in northern Sweden. .
This week I learned some stuff:
• Innie or Outie? That is the question. It seemed a pretty important question when I was like 9 years old and noticed that not every one around me was blessed with a handsome outie like me and my little brother. I figured in most cases it was just bad parenting. When I became and all-knowing 13 or 14 year old, I postulated that the difference was in how the umbilical chord was detached and treated. Of course, like so many of my completely confident answers at that stage, I was wrong. The fact is that it just a matter of chance whether you have an innie or outie. So being an outie is just luckier 😛
• May 13th is the 133th day of 2021. Just 226 days till Christmas! Today in 1862, the USS Planter, a steamer and gunship, steals through Confederate lines and is passed to the Union, by a southern slave, Robert Smalls, who later was officially appointed as captain, becoming the first black man to command a United States ship; Today in 1960, hundreds of University of California, Berkeley students congregate for the first day of protest against a visit by the House Committee on Un-American Activities; On this day in 1985, the Police bombed MOVE headquarters in Philadelphia, killing six adults and five children, and destroying the homes of 250 city residents; Today in 1989, large groups of students occupy Tiananmen Square and begin a hunger strike; Joe Louis, American boxer was born today in 1914; Fred Hellerman, American folk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Alice’s Restaurant) was born on this day in 1927; Today in 1939, Harvey Keitel, American actor was born; Ritchie Valens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist was born today in 1941; Stevie Wonder, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer was born today in 1950; Darius Rucker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist was born today in 1966; Gary Cooper, American actor passed away today in 1961; And finally, Donald “Duck” Dunn, American bass player, songwriter, and producer passed away today in 2012.
Website Update:
This week we made the following changes:
• New Vocabulary Quiz !!! YEAH!!!
• Last Week for our Musical Trivia Quiz.
• This week I didn’t come up with any new recipes for you.
• This week’s Home Page quote comes from another very interesting guy, Mencius, Chinese philosopher who left the state in 289 BC.
Writing, Ceramics, Stained Glass and Painting Update:
• My creative gear box has been and still is stuck in neutral. I haven’t figured out how to push start this particular VW!
• I didn’t attend watercolor classes this week via zoom. I hope we can go back to the classroom soon.
• Grandpa Stories is still not re-published.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• I want to get my teeth cleaned. I normally get them cleaned every 3-4 months but since the pandemic this was not possible. My regular dentist sold his practice to a marketing firm disguised as dentist’s practice. And as it is also located in my old neighborhood so I took this opportunity to change my dentists. My new dentist was a fantasy of his teenage parents when I got my first filling. I got X-rayed, measured, and examined. The came up with a plan to catch my teeth back up in terms of cleaning. Then they through in another $420 of non covered procedures and another $30 for fluoride treatments that dental insurance companied don’t cover for people over 19. I understand the concept of revenue generation and selling up services but unless the entire dental insurance community is in cahoots, I am pretty sure these additional services are “peace of mind” valued versus imperative health care. I will do the research but I found the whole thing very interesting.
Music Update:
Once again, yours truly takes you on another meander through the dusty cobwebs of my music library.
This week’s UJT Radio Program:
• Zucchero — Everybody ‘s Got To Learn Sometime — I forget how I found out about this guy. But I have enjoyed his music since I found him. I hope you do to. This one is from his “La Sesión Cubana (Deluxe Version)” released in 2012
• Charles McPherson — I Should Care — This is anther great tune from a great Alto Saxophonist that lives in San Diego. I have always loved the Sax! This on is from his 2015 release, “The Journey”.
• Procal Haram – Whiter Shade of Pale — This iconic mono single was remastered in 2007 this amazing song still haunts me. “We skipped the lights fandango, turning cartwheels ‘cross the floor… the room was humming harder as the ceiling flew away… as the mirror told its tale that her face at first just ghostly turned a whiter shade of pale “.. hmmm I remember…
• Peter Frampton — Lines on My Face — I loved this song from the first time I heard it through headphones in my rack on Westpac with the good ship Outlet. Released in 1976, “Frampton Comes Alive” just blew us all away. I seem to remember something about Thai Stick …its fuzzy….Still makes me smile.
• Don McLean — Empty Chairs — As he was recording “American Pie” in 1972, Don was going through some hard times. He was in the middle of a divorce and still down about his dads passing when he was 15. He developed depression and a great empathy for Vincent Van Gough. This song was inspired by the artist’s painting entitled, “Empty Chair” and the loss of someone you love.
• Lifehouse — The Joke — These guys are so versatile! This one is very different from all their commercially successful songs but to me it’s kind of catchy. It’s a deep cut from their, “Who We Are” produced by Jude Cole in 2007.
That’s it… Do the best you can; Laugh every chance you get; And always remember … The best is yet to come! As always, thank you for being my friend!